Home – Child Mental Health Blog

While there have been many findings in the literature demonstrating that the brains of those with autism differ from non-autistic individuals, the results often do not agree. This study used neuroimaging techniques to examine the degree to which the level of brain connectivity was a distinguishing feature of autism. The study compared 20 rigorously diagnosed […]

One of the many disturbing aspects of youth suicide is the concern that they can be “contagious” in the sense that one suicide or suicide attempt increases the risk that others around them will follow suit. A recent study that surveyed thousands of Canadian adolescents did indeed find that having a schoolmate that died by […]

(editor’s note: I’m happy to post this guest blog by some colleagues at HowardCenter on a topic that comes up all the time for parents and clinicians – DR) By Cyrus Patten MSW, Jessica Coleman LCMHC, and Robin Yandell APRN HowardCenter When children and youth are experiencing challenging emotional and behavioral issues that are not […]

One of the holy grails in mental health assessment is the search for some kind of objective test that can accurately diagnose psychiatric disorders. While the literature is full of genetic, imaging, neuropsychological, and other factors that show statistically significant links with many psychiatric conditions, none has proven robust enough for clinical use. However, the […]

The Wall Street Journal recently published an article casting doubt about the ability of ADHD medications to improve school grades and achievement. Actually, casting doubt might be a little soft as the title was “ADHD Drugs Don’t Boost Grades.” In the article, the author runs through a number of studies (some not published) that find […]

As of early July, the waitlist for new patients and families wishing to be seen by any one of our clinicians for an initial Pediatric Psychiatry Evaluation is about 6 weeks, once we have received the completed packet of rating scales and questionnaires. While any delay for a family in need can feel unacceptably long, […]

This entry was posted on Friday, July 5th, 2013 at 2:01 pm and is filed under Uncategorized.

Anyone driving today has likely encountered distracted drivers with their hands busily working their phone texting or emailing rather than being on the wheel. While these behavior are a safety concern for all, they may be particularly problematic for teens who are relatively new to driving (and also known to be quite fond of text […]